At 01:33 PM 3/16/2012, you wrote: >The KR2S project that I recently purchased is set >up as conventional gear. If I were to remove the main gear and flip >them around onto the front of the main spar, (converting to tail >wheel), the mounting holes will not line up. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I think we need to clarify terms so there is now misunderstanding. "Conventional" gear is a "tail dragger". I'm assuming you want to convert from a tri-gear ( nose wheel) to a tail wheel. Good choice :-).
I wouldn't be overly concerned about the holes if they are centered in the spar caps. Soak them with a liberal amount of epoxy and insert a dowel with the grain oriented horizontally. Personally, I would not add ply to re-enforce as you could cause stress points at the edges of the patch. Rule of thumb: never "beef up" a structure without knowing how it changes the stress factors of the structure. I'm guessing we are talking "Diehl" gear here and that is the recommended way to switch from one type of setup the other. Mount the leg on the back of the spar for nose wheel and on the front of the spar for tail wheel. Other brands of gear may differ. Absolutely "no" to the tank behind the seat. It will be hard enough keeping the C.G. forward without adding 50 or more pounds behind the seat, to say nothing of the safety factor. There is no problem with putting all the fuel in the outer wing panels as I did. Make the tanks long and narrow and keep them as close to the forward spar as possible. Add baffles to keep the fuel from sloshing. My tanks are 10 inches wide and run the full length of the outer wing panels right behind the forward spar. They hold 12.5 gallon each. I have no fuel in the cockpit except the fuel lines. 440+ hours of flight time says it works just fine. I can't tell there is additional weight in the outer wings during any phase of flight. It flies just fine. Also, I have no engine driven fuel pump but use a small backup battery system in case I lose my electrical buss. It saved my bacon at 10 hour in to test flights when I did, in fact, lose my electrical buss. A simple flip of the switch and the engine never even sputtered. Just keep it as simple as possible. Get to the Gathering this fall and check out the KR's to see what all is possible........... Larry Flesner
